Thursday, December 02, 2010

Warner Bros has been taking stereoscopic 3D very seriously for awhile now but I must say their 2011 production line up of feature films looks simply amazing.

Let's take a look at what is in store for us in 2011 from Warner Bros:

1. GREEN LANTERN (June 17): This is my most anticipated WB release for 2011. Yes even more than Part 2 of DEATHLY HALLOWS. I would also say it is equally if not more important for Warner Bros too: The HARRY POTTER franchise is now drawing to a close and the DC Comics vault is being opened for the big screen. There is no secret in that timing. Huge potential of course. We have really only seen the capes of Superman and Batman on the silver screen - will the other heroic characters resonate with audiences? Will the faithful fans be pleased with the end product?

From what I have seen so far - there is no need to worry. Ryan Reynolds is perfect for the role in my opinion - and yes I have heard the dissenting views believe me. This is a home run. Can't wait to see it paint a green aura all around world's box office next June. Heck work has already begun on GREEN LANTERN 2 and THE FLASH...

Action Adventure. In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, a small but powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps. A brotherhood of warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him superpowers. But when a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds). Hal is a gifted and cocky test pilot, but the Green Lanterns have little respect for humans, who have never harnessed the infinite powers of the ring before. But Hal is clearly the missing piece to the puzzle, and along with his determination and willpower, he has one thing no member of the Corps has ever had: humanity. With the encouragement of fellow pilot and childhood sweetheart Carol Ferris (Blake Lively), if Hal can quickly master his new powers and find the courage to overcome his fears, he may prove to be not only the key to defeating Parallax...he will become the greatest Green Lantern of all.

2. HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PT2 (July 15): Who hasn't been enchanted by the growth of this franchise and the development of these kids into fine young actors? While this is apparently the final movie in the HARRY POTTER series - all is not as it seems: Rowling has hinted that she will write further about the characters! Interesting indeed.

In the meantime, be prepared to witness a HUGE box office behemoth with this final release. Warner Bros will have had the time to complete this iteration in stereoscopic 3D and WILL reap the rewards. You can easily add a further 30% to the final tally. It was unfortunate that WB ran out of time in the 3D conversion of DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 1, but all is not lost - they will recoup all of that and more with the 3D Blu-ray release in the coming years.

This movie WILL be shown in IMAX 3D.

Director: David YatesWriters: Steve KlovesBased on the novel Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. RowlingProducers: David Heyman, David Barron, J.K. RowlingExecutive Producer: Lionel Wigram

Fantasy Adventure. In Part 2 of the epic finale, the battle between the good and evil forces of the Wizarding world escalates into an all-out war. The stakes have never been higher and no one is safe. But it is Harry Potter who may be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice as he draws closer to the climactic showdown with Lord Voldemort. It all ends here.

3. FINAL DESTINATION 5 (August 26): Ahhh the never ending confrontations with 'Death'! I truly enjoyed the fourth in the series and the 3D added that extra spark for me. Yes, 3D in horror is ALLOWED to be proudly gimmicky and rest assured that the fifth in the franchise will continue to throw things at us. And what's wrong with that? Sound is used as a gimmick in horror too: How many of you have jumped when the audience is blasted with 1,000,000 decibels cued exactly when a cat merely jumps off camera into view? 3D is amplifying that. And I love it. For use in horror and JACK-ASS movies only please. :-)

Cast: Emma Bell, Nicholas D'Agosto, Miles Fisher, Arlen Escarpeta, Jacqueline MacInnes-Wood, P.J. Byrne, Ellen Wroe, David Koechner, Courtney B. Vance, Tony ToddHorror. Death makes a killing in the next installment in the horror series which once again proves that no matter where you run, no matter where you hide...you can't cheat death.

4. DOLPHIN TALE (October 7): Yes, this is the true story about the boy who gathers a community together to build a prosthetic tail for a dolphin who lost it in a crab trap. SO - be prepared to bring a whole thing of Kleenex with you for your family. It is gonna get messy. You might as well be going to see a dolphin show in the front row - because that's how much water works are going to be happening. That said, it should be a good experience as water works so well in 3D - and a true story never hurts.

Family Adventure. "Dolphin Tale" is inspired by the remarkable true story of a courageous dolphin named Winter and the compassionate people who banded together to save her life.

5. HAPPY FEET 2 (November 18): I will be the first to admit my feet were happy during the original!! Loved the score. And man can that Robin Williams belt a tune! :-) Not too much more to say than: I WANT MORE - this time in 3D!

This movie WILL be shown in IMAX 3D.

Director: George MillerWriter: George MillerProducers: George Miller, Doug Mitchell

Animated Adventure. The sequel to the Academy Award®-winning animated smash hit, "Happy Feet 2" returns audiences to the magnificent landscape of Antarctica, reuniting us with the world's most famous tap-dancing penguin, Mumble (Elijah Wood), the love of his life, Gloria (Alecia Moore {Pink}) and their old friends Ramon and Lovelace (Robin Williams). Mumble and Gloria now have a son of their own, Erik (EG Daily), who is struggling to find his own particular talents in the Emperor Penguin world. But new dangers are threatening the penguin nation, and it's going to take everyone working--and dancing--together to save them.

6. JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND (Release Date TBD): No more Brendan Fraser. *single tear of remorse* Ok, not really. I think Dwayne Johnson has got this thing sewn up. In fact I think he will do a better job than Fraser in this role. Sadly, to date he has not had the worldwide box office clout that Fraser has (which is actually quite a phenomenon). Back is Josh Peter Parker Hutcherson which is a good thing. Michael Caine? Brilliant move. Looking forward to that.

The live action 3D cinematography was excellent in the original JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH, especially the Iceland scenes. And the T-Rex in 3D chase sequence? Amazing. LOVED it. Hoping for more of the same excellence.

Family Adventure. The follow-up to the 2008 hit. The new journey begins when young adventurer Sean (Josh Hutcherson) receives a coded distress signal from a mysterious island where no island should exist--a place of strange life forms, mountains of gold, deadly volcanoes, and more than one astonishing secret. Unable to stop him from going, Sean's new stepfather (Dwayne Johnson) joins the quest. Together with a helicopter pilot (Luis Guzman) and his beautiful, strong-willed daughter (Vanessa Hudgens), they set out to find the island, rescue its lone inhabitant and escape before seismic shockwaves force the island under the sea and bury its treasures forever.

This movie WILL be shown in IMAX 3D.

So there's the roundup! I'll be taking my family to see YOGI BEAR on December 17 (another Warner Bros 3D movie) and let me tell you the kids are amped up about it!Note that they also have a 3D documentary entitled BORN TO BE WILD (release date April 8 in IMAX only), narrated by Morgan Freeman that looks darn good too.

It gives me great pleasure to review what the coming months have in store for us in S3D from Warner Bros because they have earned it. When a major studio commits the way they have to 3D they have my ear. Good luck with the DC Comics vault guys and here's hoping for more Potter!!

Warner Bros has been taking stereoscopic 3D very seriously for awhile now but I must say their 2011 production line up of feature films looks simply amazing.

Let's take a look at what is in store for us in 2011 from Warner Bros:

1. GREEN LANTERN (June 17): This is my most anticipated WB release for 2011. Yes even more than Part 2 of DEATHLY HALLOWS. I would also say it is equally if not more important for Warner Bros too: The HARRY POTTER franchise is now drawing to a close and the DC Comics vault is being opened for the big screen. There is no secret in that timing. Huge potential of course. We have really only seen the capes of Superman and Batman on the silver screen - will the other heroic characters resonate with audiences? Will the faithful fans be pleased with the end product?

From what I have seen so far - there is no need to worry. Ryan Reynolds is perfect for the role in my opinion - and yes I have heard the dissenting views believe me. This is a home run. Can't wait to see it paint a green aura all around world's box office next June. Heck work has already begun on GREEN LANTERN 2 and THE FLASH...

Action Adventure. In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, a small but powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps. A brotherhood of warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him superpowers. But when a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds). Hal is a gifted and cocky test pilot, but the Green Lanterns have little respect for humans, who have never harnessed the infinite powers of the ring before. But Hal is clearly the missing piece to the puzzle, and along with his determination and willpower, he has one thing no member of the Corps has ever had: humanity. With the encouragement of fellow pilot and childhood sweetheart Carol Ferris (Blake Lively), if Hal can quickly master his new powers and find the courage to overcome his fears, he may prove to be not only the key to defeating Parallax...he will become the greatest Green Lantern of all.

2. HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PT2 (July 15): Who hasn't been enchanted by the growth of this franchise and the development of these kids into fine young actors? While this is apparently the final movie in the HARRY POTTER series - all is not as it seems: Rowling has hinted that she will write further about the characters! Interesting indeed.

In the meantime, be prepared to witness a HUGE box office behemoth with this final release. Warner Bros will have had the time to complete this iteration in stereoscopic 3D and WILL reap the rewards. You can easily add a further 30% to the final tally. It was unfortunate that WB ran out of time in the 3D conversion of DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 1, but all is not lost - they will recoup all of that and more with the 3D Blu-ray release in the coming years.

This movie WILL be shown in IMAX 3D.

Director: David YatesWriters: Steve KlovesBased on the novel Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. RowlingProducers: David Heyman, David Barron, J.K. RowlingExecutive Producer: Lionel Wigram

Fantasy Adventure. In Part 2 of the epic finale, the battle between the good and evil forces of the Wizarding world escalates into an all-out war. The stakes have never been higher and no one is safe. But it is Harry Potter who may be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice as he draws closer to the climactic showdown with Lord Voldemort. It all ends here.

3. FINAL DESTINATION 5 (August 26): Ahhh the never ending confrontations with 'Death'! I truly enjoyed the fourth in the series and the 3D added that extra spark for me. Yes, 3D in horror is ALLOWED to be proudly gimmicky and rest assured that the fifth in the franchise will continue to throw things at us. And what's wrong with that? Sound is used as a gimmick in horror too: How many of you have jumped when the audience is blasted with 1,000,000 decibels cued exactly when a cat merely jumps off camera into view? 3D is amplifying that. And I love it. For use in horror and JACK-ASS movies only please. :-)

Cast: Emma Bell, Nicholas D'Agosto, Miles Fisher, Arlen Escarpeta, Jacqueline MacInnes-Wood, P.J. Byrne, Ellen Wroe, David Koechner, Courtney B. Vance, Tony ToddHorror. Death makes a killing in the next installment in the horror series which once again proves that no matter where you run, no matter where you hide...you can't cheat death.

4. DOLPHIN TALE (October 7): Yes, this is the true story about the boy who gathers a community together to build a prosthetic tail for a dolphin who lost it in a crab trap. SO - be prepared to bring a whole thing of Kleenex with you for your family. It is gonna get messy. You might as well be going to see a dolphin show in the front row - because that's how much water works are going to be happening. That said, it should be a good experience as water works so well in 3D - and a true story never hurts.

Family Adventure. "Dolphin Tale" is inspired by the remarkable true story of a courageous dolphin named Winter and the compassionate people who banded together to save her life.

5. HAPPY FEET 2 (November 18): I will be the first to admit my feet were happy during the original!! Loved the score. And man can that Robin Williams belt a tune! :-) Not too much more to say than: I WANT MORE - this time in 3D!

This movie WILL be shown in IMAX 3D.

Director: George MillerWriter: George MillerProducers: George Miller, Doug Mitchell

Animated Adventure. The sequel to the Academy Award®-winning animated smash hit, "Happy Feet 2" returns audiences to the magnificent landscape of Antarctica, reuniting us with the world's most famous tap-dancing penguin, Mumble (Elijah Wood), the love of his life, Gloria (Alecia Moore {Pink}) and their old friends Ramon and Lovelace (Robin Williams). Mumble and Gloria now have a son of their own, Erik (EG Daily), who is struggling to find his own particular talents in the Emperor Penguin world. But new dangers are threatening the penguin nation, and it's going to take everyone working--and dancing--together to save them.

6. JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND (Release Date TBD): No more Brendan Fraser. *single tear of remorse* Ok, not really. I think Dwayne Johnson has got this thing sewn up. In fact I think he will do a better job than Fraser in this role. Sadly, to date he has not had the worldwide box office clout that Fraser has (which is actually quite a phenomenon). Back is Josh Peter Parker Hutcherson which is a good thing. Michael Caine? Brilliant move. Looking forward to that.

The live action 3D cinematography was excellent in the original JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH, especially the Iceland scenes. And the T-Rex in 3D chase sequence? Amazing. LOVED it. Hoping for more of the same excellence.

Family Adventure. The follow-up to the 2008 hit. The new journey begins when young adventurer Sean (Josh Hutcherson) receives a coded distress signal from a mysterious island where no island should exist--a place of strange life forms, mountains of gold, deadly volcanoes, and more than one astonishing secret. Unable to stop him from going, Sean's new stepfather (Dwayne Johnson) joins the quest. Together with a helicopter pilot (Luis Guzman) and his beautiful, strong-willed daughter (Vanessa Hudgens), they set out to find the island, rescue its lone inhabitant and escape before seismic shockwaves force the island under the sea and bury its treasures forever.

This movie WILL be shown in IMAX 3D.

So there's the roundup! I'll be taking my family to see YOGI BEAR on December 17 (another Warner Bros 3D movie) and let me tell you the kids are amped up about it!Note that they also have a 3D documentary entitled BORN TO BE WILD (release date April 8 in IMAX only), narrated by Morgan Freeman that looks darn good too.

It gives me great pleasure to review what the coming months have in store for us in S3D from Warner Bros because they have earned it. When a major studio commits the way they have to 3D they have my ear. Good luck with the DC Comics vault guys and here's hoping for more Potter!!